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Larry Sr. Has Plenty To Write Home About At Super Bowl

Tribune photo by CLIFF McBRIDE

Larry Fitzgerald Sr., a Minnesota sports reporter, talks about his son, the Cardinals' star receiver, during Media Day at Raymond James Stadium.

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By MARTIN FENNELLY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 28, 2009

TAMPA - Have we got a story for you.

Larry Fitzgerald has covered 28 Super Bowls as a journalist but had never been at a Media Day like Tuesday, and not because there was a Spanish TV guy wearing a red gown. Yawn.

Now back to our daredevil.

Mr. Never-Been-Tried-On-This-Stage. All of us newspaper flunkies are pulling for Larry, who writes for the weekly Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. He has the roughest job in town, right after the guy who has to keep the shrimp bowl filled at the media party.

No cheering in this press box? Forget it, Larry. I'm taking cheering and the points, or maybe crying and the points.

Larry Fitzgerald's ethical dilemma sat on a riser at Media Day with media all around. The problem is Larry's son: Larry Jr., the Arizona Cardinals' sky-climbing receiver who has mesmerized this postseason.

"I never dreamed about this," Larry Sr. said.

There's no record of a sports writer covering his son in a Super Bowl. Babe Ruth's father reportedly did TV color commentary on his son at the 1926 World Series, but since television hadn't been invented, he was led away in a butterfly net.

Back to Larry, and Tuesday's lightning round of the interviewer gets interviewed. Larry Sr. is a very nice man who has written plenty about his son. Who can blame him? Hey, I'll pay for the Conflict of Interest seminar. One of our own has one of his own in the Big Bowl.

He has never received a "no comment" from the Cardinals receiving star, except for the time Larry Jr. refused to go on or off the record as to who drew crayon kitty on the wall. That was awhile back, we hear.

"I'm going to say it again," Senior said with a smile. "It's another game. It's the Super Bowl, but it's still another game to me. I'm not going to act any different."

I thought about what I'd ask my kid at the Super Bowl.

Yeah, here on the left. Could you talk about your gene pool, maybe where you got your DNA? Could you talk about that?

"My dream was to do exactly what Larry was doing, play in the National Football League," Senior said. "Unfortunately, I lost my desire to play in my senior year of college. Then I focused on education and getting as close to the game as I could. I don't think we could get any closer, right?"

Absolutely.

Is there any more shrimp?

His son is in the middle of a $40 million contract, but here's Larry, bless his notepads, carrying his computer in his old complimentary media bag. There's no record of a sports writer turning down a complimentary media bag.

Thing is, and not to complain, but Larry's son is sort of not a sizzling quote. He's cordial, humble, but no diva. He's an all-world sandwich, hold the T.O. Used to be Larry Jr. would bolt from the locker room before media arrived. I would have sent him straight to the interview room without his supper.

"My wife and I just never believed in celebrating, showboating," Larry Sr. said. "... Part of that is we tried to teach him that when you win, say little, when you lose, say less. Larry never sees himself as a star, he just sees himself as part of the deal."

If there's any sadness this week, it's because Carol, Larry's wife, died six years ago. Now their son is on the world stage.

"You're going to have me crying here in a minute," Larry Sr. said. "I don't want to go there. She's watching, you can count on that."

Interviews concluded with Larry, the interviews were, well, concluded. The media hour with the Cardinals was pretty much up. Sorry, Larry, our bad. As far as I could tell, the father didn't get to ask the son a single question. Maybe Larry can tap into a source of his with the Cardinals.

One last thing: Larry Fitzgerald Sr. said last year's Giants-Patriots Super Bowl was the most exciting sports event he'd ever covered. What could top that?

"I think this will," he said.

You can quote him on that.

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